History of Philanthropy

Last week was an exciting one! I was in Las Vegas with my boyfriend for the final table of the World Series of Poker. I got to enjoy some fun parties, hang out at the company’s rental home, and drink a glass of Dom Perignon (which was given to me by a stranger…) The winner, Jerry Yang, gave a short speech where he spoke of his life and the charities that he was donating some of his winnings to.

I got to wondering about the history of philanthropy in the United States and found this article on the Arizona Grantmakers Forum website. Andrew Carnegie wrote an essay titled “The Gospel of Wealth” in 1889 saying that the rich should instead of “leaving their wealth to their families, administer it as a public trust during life.” In 1891, John D. Rockefeller, Sr. hired a staff to help manage his dontating enterprises. Legislation in 1921 helped a charitable America have tax relief in exchange for personal giving and since then, giving has become a growing trend.

It was refreshing to hear Jerry talk about his giving, and, after learning about his life, it makes anyone want to be more thankful and help the less fortunate.